Contact: Colleen Ryan-Hensley

About Colleen

I grew up on my grandfather's sea stories. I spent my days in dreams of living Navy life before I learned to read. When I was 12-years-old my parents divorced, my grandfather passed away unexpectedly, and I became depressed. So I ran. Sometimes I ran for hours at a time. I realized that I always felt better after a run: Fast or slow; alone or with a friend; sunshine, rain, snow; always better than when I started. I called it my "motion therapy" and it worked.

I enlisted at 21. My boot camp start date approached. Physically, I was ready, but I was anxious and sleepless. I became aware that my physical strength was not the only part of me that needed to be at my best in order to successfully tackle my lifelong dream of being a sailor. I began to close my eyes and to visualize boot camp with great clarity: The presence of men screaming in my face, the salty taste of sweat from push-up after aching push-up in the middle of the night, and the weight of steel-toed boots tied closely to my feet. Then, I slept soundly.

I thrived in the Navy for over a decade. It was extremely challenging, even more rewarding, and led me to discover my true calling, and the creation of Grace C. Ryan, Performance Enhancement.

I validated my passion for "motion therapy" and visualization (mental skills training) with an undergraduate degree in sport psychology and a master's degree in performance psychology.

I am a candidate for certification as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP).